Russian Helicopters Heavily Involved in Sochi Olympics

Helicopters flying over the Sochi Winter Olympics will perform a number of roles, but most will feature the livery of what one would expect – Russian Helicopters. The Russian Interior Ministry, Federal Security Service and Emergencies Ministry are among the agencies that will employ various Russian variants to conduct security missions, patrols, EMS and SAR operations during the XXII Olympic Winter Games from Feb. 7-23, as well as the XI Paralympic Games from March 7-16.

Mi-171.Photos courtesy of Russian Helicopters

Russian Helicopters CEO Alexander Mikheev notes that Russian-built rotorcraft have been used in the preparations for the games, “helping complete highly complex aspects of the construction work on Olympic venues.”

Kamov KA-226T.Photo courtesy of Russian Helicopters

The Emergencies Ministry has a medical-equipped Kamov Ka-32A11BC and a group of Mi-8/17s based at Sochi Airport and the Krasnaya Polyana helipad to assist with firefighting, monitoring and SAR/EMS. The Ministry of Internal Affairs is using Mi-8/17s and Ka-226s to support police and surveillance operations. Others include the Federal Security Service’s Ka-226s and Mi-8/17s, and a number of Mi-8/17s flown by commercial operators in Sochi, including UTair, as well as Mi-26T heavy transports with PANH Helicopters. Mi-8AMTs and Ka-32s played a role in the construction of cableways and ski resort infrastructure as well.